Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-05-15
CHAPTER y.
JOHN HAS AN escape.

On the following Monday, John taking,
Jamie to drive him, departed in a rongh
Scotch cart, / o which were harneSSed two
of the best horses ut MOOiiOnteiu, to shoot
buck at Hans COetzee's.
He reached the place at about half-past
eight. and concluded, from the fact OF the
presence Of several carts and horses, that
he was not the only guest. Indeed, the
first person that he saw as the cart pulled
mp was his late enemy, Frank Muller,
"Kek look, baas," said Jantie, there
is Baas Frank talking 10 4 B1sutu!'
John was, as may be imagined, not best
pIeaSed nj this meeting. He had always
iiSliked the man. and since mullers con-
duet on the previous Friday, and JanUe's
story of the dark deed OF blood IN which
he had been the principal actor, he pos
lively loathed the sight Of him. lie got
out Of the cart, and was going to Walk
round TO the back Of the hOus IN order Ia
avoid him, when Muller, to allappeaEance,
suddenly became awar of his presence,
and advanced TO meet him with the ut
most COTdiality.
How do you do, captain2' he said, hold,
inc out his hand, which John Just touched,
80 YOU have come to shoot buck with
ON COetZse; going TO show us TranSgGalers
how to do it eh? There, captain, don't
look as still rs a rifle barrel. l know what
YOU are thinking OF; that little business at
WakkerstrOOm on Friday, iSitn0t2 Well,
now | tell You what 1t Is, | was IN tbs
wrong, and / amt AFRAID to say so rs be.
tween man and man. l had had q glass,
that was the fact, and did not quite know
what | was about. We have got to live as
ueighhOrs here, so let US forget ali about IT
and be brothers again. never bear malice,
not /. Ii is not the Lords will that we
should bear malice. Hit out from the
shoulder, | say, and then forget all about
II. lit hadn't been for that little mon
key he added, Jerking his thumb ia the
direction of Jantje, who was holding the
horses heads, 1T would never have hap
pened, audit is mot nice that two Christian;
should quarrel about such as he
Muller ierked put this long speech In q
succession of sentences, something as q
schOOlboy repeats a hardly learned lesson.
tidgeting his feet and letting his restless
eyes travel about the ground rs he did so
and il was evident to John, who stood
quite still and listened TO il in icy silence,
that it was by no means an ~extemporary
one. 1t had too clearly been composed tOI
the occasion.
al do not wish tOquarrd With anybody
Meinheer Muller he answered, at length
81 never do quarrel unless it is forced OF
me, and then" he added, grimly, Il dc
my best to make it unpleasant for my
enemy. The other day you attacked tTS
my servant and then myself. l am glaC
that you now see that rhisw was an imprOpe
thing TO do, and, so far rs am concerned
there is an end of the matter, and h,
turned TO enter the house.
Muller accompanied him rs far rs wherD
Jantie was standing az the horses heads
Here be stopped, and, putting his hand II
his pocket, took out a twO-shilling piece
and threw it to the Hottentot, calling t.
him to catch il.
jamie was holding the horses with ont
hand. In the other he held his stick;
long walking kerrie that he always carried
the same on which he had shown BeSSi,
the notches. In order to catch the piect
of money he dropped the stick, and Mul
ler's quick eve catching sight of tn,
notches beneath the knob, he STOPPED
down, picked it up, and examined it.
what do these mean, hOy?' he asked
pointing to the line of big and it'll
notehes, some of which had evidently beer
cut years ago. e..
Jantie touched his hat, spat upon tn
''ScOtchman, " as the natives Of that part o
Africa call a twO-shilling piece anC
pOeketed it before he answered. The fac
that the giyer had murdered all his nea
relations did not make the gift less desir
able in his eyes. H%OttentOt moral sense i
not very elevated.
mo. baas, " he said, with a curious grin
THAT is how I reckon. IL anybody beat
Jantje, Jantje cuts a notch upon the stick
and every night before he goes 10 sleep h
looks at it and says, One day you vii
strike that man twice who struck yOl
once and so on, blas. Look what 4 lin
ofthem there are, baas. One day / Shal
nav them all back again, Baas Frank
Muller abruptly dropped the stick, an
followed John towards the house. 1t wa
A much better building than the BoeT
generally indulge in, and the sitting-rOOn
though innocent of flOOTiug-unleSs ella
and cowdung mixed can be called a floor
was more or less covered with mats mad
of springbuck skins. In the centre Of IN
room was a table made OF the prett
''buekenhout' wood, which has the al
.pacsuse once mon a time a Seotchman mad
graat jnDresSiOn on the simple native mind
Natal bv palming on some thousands OF horn